The population of Portugal has risen for the fifth year in a row, new data from INE, the national statistics body, has found.
According to INE, the estimated population of Portugal last year was 10,639,726, an increase of 123,105 compared to the previous year.
This rise in population was largely attributed to positive migration trends, with a significant increase in both the number of immigrants and a rise in the number of emigrants returning to the country.
Immigration and emigration
In 2023, some 189,367 immigrants moved to Portugal, marking an increase of 13.3% from 2022. At the same time, 33,666 people emigrated, reflecting an 8.8% increase from the previous year.
Despite the rise in emigration, Portugal’s net migration remained positive for the seventh consecutive year, reaching 155,701 in 2023, up from 136,144 in 2022.
There was also a notable increase in the issuing of visas, with 102,528 visas granted by Portuguese consular posts in 2023, a 47.1% increase compared to the previous year.
Most of these visas (81,415) were for residence purposes, while the remaining 21,113 were for temporary stays.
The number of foreign nationals acquiring Portuguese citizenship decreased by 10.5%, with 41,393 acquisitions in 2023, compared to 46,229 in 2022. Of these, 16,985 were by residents in Portugal, and 24,408 were by residents abroad.
Births and deaths
The number of live births in Portugal also increased, with 85,699 births recorded in 2023, reflecting a 2.4% rise on the previous year. The total fertility rate stood at 1.44 children per mother, up from 1.43 the previous year, while the mean age of women at childbirth remained stable at 31.6 years, compared to 31.7 years the previous year.
The number of deaths decreased by 4.9% in Portugal last year, with 118,295 deaths reported, compared to 124,361 in 2022. The number of infant deaths also fell, resulting in a decrease in the infant mortality rate to 2.5 per thousand live births, down from 2.6 in 2022.
Marriages in Portugal remained stable, with 36,980 marriages taking place, a slight increase of 28 from the previous year. The mean age at first marriage was 35.8 years for men and 34.3 years for women, both of which were slightly higher than in 2022. Read more here.
